Goodnight, Sweet Prince
by Atarashii Tanjou
Summary: In which Yamada Taro sleeps, unaware of the demon watching him with a covetous gaze. HIATUS FOR INDETERMINABLE TIMEFRAME
1. 1

It was too much. Yamada Taro never regretted being born to royalty; he acknowledged that others had it much worse than he and his family did. However, there were days when the constant stress and expectations became almost too heavy a burden to bear. Had he been alone in his efforts, Taro would have collapsed long ago, but support from his court and several friends in his gilded prison helped ease the load from his shoulders.

Today had pushed the limits of his tolerance - though he loved his childhood friend, Najimi Osana had her moments. These had not been her finest, today. How she managed to poison the lunch she presented to him, he did not know. He did know that her intentions were good. If his little sister could be more forgiving, it might have helped lighten the atmosphere… but no, Yamada Hanako could be very scary, especially when she felt her brother was in danger.

Now, alone in his bedchamber, the prince could only look back on the day with dashed hopes. The servants were whispering as they left, he could hear them. The court Sorceress, Oka Ruto, had declared publicly that there was a disturbance in the aura of the castle, much to his dismay. Taro held little belief in the abilities of Madam Ruto, but she commanded respect with her station and the fact that his father had appointed her despite Taro's obvious skepticism.

He had interrupted her public statement, he recalled. It was quite an accident - he had scoffed under his breath, and accidentally dropped a goblet. The witch had spun, startled, and pointed at him. "These tragedies center around you, Yamada Taro. May you take my warning with proper caution and face your fate with dignity!" Half of the court had been scandalized by her scathing tone alone, while the other half wailed from her premonition about their beloved prince. The king had fallen under her spell a fair time prior, and had tripled security in the castle, barring the common folk until the "danger" was "accounted for".

Sighing, the prince ran a hand through his hair. Dinner had been delivered at the capable hands of Odayaka Amai, the court cook, but he had never felt less like eating. Although his favorite desserts had been included, Taro ignored the tray of food and began removing his constricting clothes. Dropping his heavy garments onto the bed, he huffed. It had been a long day, unbearably so, and he desired nothing more than sleep. So the prince closed his eyes, willing himself to sleep uninterrupted.

Alas, it was not to be...

...not if _she_ had anything to say about it.

Taro awoke in the darkest hours of the night, sweating, panting harshly. He recollected a nightmarish dream of sickly white hands with red talons holding him down as a figure slinked up to him. He shuddered, closing his eyes, yet the scene persisted. He shifted, and froze at the girlish giggle from above his restrained figure.

Opening his eyes, his gaze was drawn to the magnetic presence of his late-night guest. Inky black hair framed her face, two loose knots above her shoulders giving way to twin tails of darkness that brushed and curled against the bedsheets. She was alluringly pale, with a deep red kimono that mimicked her sultry eyes. Dark makeup complimented her features. Those teasing lips turned up in a coy smile, and the temptress spoke for the first time.

"Hello, my Prince. I've been waiting to meet you."

The enticing lilt to her voice snapped him out of his trance. Indignation and ire rose in the prince's heart at the thought that this mysterious woman might have a dark fate in store for him. "Who are you? How dare you enter my private chambers?" His heated questions only seemed to amuse the beautiful woman before him. Anger boiling inside him, he spat out, "Guards!"

He had expected several armed individuals to rush to his aid. What he had _not_ expected was the bubble of genuine mirth from the damsel in his presence. "Oh, my dear Taro-kun…" She toyed with the sash around her waist, loosening it and shooting him a devilish smirk. "I'm afraid they're a bit… well… _indisposed_. You see, I made sure to ask all of them quite nicely if they would mind giving us this time alone and undisturbed." A sly smile crept across her beautiful face. "They were loathe to go against the pleas of such a _lovely young lady_." With those words, the sash dropped, and the robe slithered to the floor.

Taro's heart stopped for what seemed like an eternity, but could not have been more than mere seconds. His roving eyes took in the seductive armor, the deep jewel resting above her sternum, but what captured his attention were the magnificent and terrifying wings lifting from her shoulders. Dark feathers clustered atop the bones, dropping away gradually to reveal a bat-like membrane, translucent and shimmering like an otherworldly veil. Lifting a single finger to her lips, she leaned forward, tilting her head with dark innocence. "So… shall we begin?"

 _ **A/N - I saw a recent update of Yandere Simulator and this idea stuck. Please don't kill me. (And please tell me what you thought!)**_


	2. 2

2

Yamada Hanako was not as oblivious as the public seemed to think her. She'd noticed the difference around the castle, from the girls vying for her brother's attentions to the strange way her dearest brother was acting lately. He had always been reserved, but this was completely out-of-the-norm for him. The princess sighed, troubled.

 _I took his arm this morning, and he wrenched it away from me. He has never treated me so… and he barely apologized. Something is going on with my brother, and I am going to find out what it is._ A flash of orange caught her eye, and she smiled slightly, the cogs of her mind turning. "Osana-chan!" Running to her brother's dear friend, she skidded to a halt at the sight of the girl's face. "What has happened to you?! You're so pale! Are you ill?" Worry saturated the princess's tone, her hands fluttering about helplessly. Osana snorted weakly.

"I'm fine, Hanako." The dark-haired girl blinked, her hands falling to her sides. "I just haven't been sleeping very well. I'll get a sleeping draught from the apothecary - I'm sure she has some excess to spare. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must attend to my duties." Osana turned on her heel, sweeping away from the confounded princess. Tears had started in the girl's eyes, confusion spiraling out of control.

Osana had been like an older sister all her life, always tagging along with her older brother, Taro. And like the ideal older sister, she had always been kind to Hanako, even going so far as calling her 'Hanako-chan'. It had been refreshing, as opposed to the oppressive '-sama' many of those in the court insisted upon. But even as close as she had become, Osana had never been able to entirely drop the honorifics from Hanako's name. For her to forget… something must really be wrong.

The longer she walked, the more certain she became that something was amiss in the castle. All of the girls she visited had ashen countenances and somber attitudes. Even sweet Odayaka Amai was silent, icing cakes with black frosting. Shidesu Osoro was, thus far, the only exception, already a solemn individual. Her mood was even more foul than usual, though, and Hanako could only stomach three minutes in her presence, already feeling the sting of her sharp tongue.

Visiting her tutor was surprising. Mida Rana, a governess with questionable tastes and rather loose ethics, was quite upbeat, the most positive that the princess had ever seen her. "Ah! Hana-hime. Have you come for today's lessons?" Despite the fond exasperation that stirred at the moniker, the princess nodded. Mida grinned with all the subtlety of a cat eyeing the cream. "I'm afraid that I'll have to postpone today's lessons. I suddenly find myself rather ill, you see, and I must pay Muja a visit. I'm not sure what is wrong quite yet, but we'll plan on resuming lessons in three days."

Hanako rolled her eyes. It was no secret that her tutor had set her attentions on their dear healer; Muja Kina was rather oblivious to it all, but Mida Rana was not easily discouraged from her flights of fancy. The sultry voice of the woman in question brought her back to reality. "Now, I believe that there is a young man here to see you. He expressed quite a desire to speak to you… for him to jump through so many hoops to get to you, I suggest you grant him his audience. Perhaps this will be the beginning of a potential suitor, my dear. And in our own court, no less."

To say that Hanako's interest was piqued would be an understatement. Despite the impending promise of an arranged marriage in the future, she had yet to receive an offer from their own court, let alone other kingdoms. The idea of a man in their own kingdom, potentially part of the inner circle, to make a bid for her hand was exciting. "Do you know where he is, sensei?" Realizing how breathless she sounded, Hanako blushed, breathing in and smoothing her facial expression to partial disinterest. Mida Rana chuckled, eyes darting over the girl's shoulder.

"…I believe you are looking for me?" A soft, sweet voice interjected timidly from behind the princess. Hanako jumped, startled, and spun abruptly. The world tilted on its axis, and Hanako fell, right into the waiting arms of her apparent suitor. The breath left her lungs in an exhale of surprise, and she peeled open her eyes, closed from fear.

He looked rather like her brother. This detail immediately put her more at ease. There was a kindness in his eyes, though Hanako could not see all the way through him like she could some of the Court. Instead of apprehension at the sight of a mysterious front, Hanako was intrigued. She felt briefly unsettled at her eager reaction, but pushed the discomfort away. She was entitled to excitement; after all, this was the first potential Suitor that had shown enough interest in her hand to not only meet with her father, but to find her in the labyrinthine castle, as well. Surely it was acceptable for even one of her station to indulge briefly?

Her Suitor had black hair, longer than Taro's, but not long enough to be held in a tail. It was messy, but in a deliberate way that spoke of an active life and strength. A bandage circled his forehead, holding his bangs from his forehead. His hakama was primarily white, black and red accents highlighting his muscular figure. He was strong, she noted distantly, feeling his arms tight around her waist and back. With little effort, he lifted her back to her feet, bowing in respect to Mida Rana before turning back to the dazed princess.

"I am sorry for frightening you, my Lady. It was not my intention." The note of apology in his voice, as well as a bashful undertone, warmed her to him immediately. He continued to speak, glancing to her tutor, giving Hanako the chance to further study him.

She had the oddest feeling that she'd seen him before, but she couldn't quite place when or where. Looking at him with a critical eye, he was rather ordinary. He didn't carry himself like some Prince of a foreign land, puffed up with arrogance and of a condescending nature. No, this man held himself like a soldier, a dignitary, a diplomat to warring nations. There was a confidence in his stance, as though he could take on the toughest of opponents and defeat them, which drew her to him further. Although Hanako loved her brother dearly, she knew that if violence were to erupt, he would be of little use. Taro's talents laid in diplomacy and absorbing information. It was a large part of why their father had bought so completely into Oka Ruto's words, desperate to believe that she held some power over the future and knowing the unknown. He wanted to know that his children, his heirs would be safe.

"My Lady?" Hanako blinked, refocusing on her Suitor's face. He had a concerned expression, but a small blush on his cheeks. Quickly looking at her tutor's amused smirk had Hanako's face coloring rapidly. He had caught her staring at him! Was he offended? Had he decided such impropriety was not to be borne, and rescinded his offer for her hand? "…My Lady?" She felt her heart flutter wildly behind her ribs, and pressed a hand to her chest. This could potentially be her last offer, she knew, and her vision filled with spots. The last she saw was the room spinning as she fainted.

 ** _A/N - And here we have the second installment. I apologize for the long wait. Things have been difficult lately at home, and school is suffering as a result. I hope that you will look forward to the next chapter, as it will be coaxing its way onto paper within two weeks, I hope. Feel free to comment any theories you have about the "strange happenings" and the relationships between the characters. Thank you for reading, and I will see you next time!_**


	3. 3

3

The shadows shifted as dusk descended over the castle. In the garden, whispers sounded out eerily, like the laughter of things long forgotten. "Tell me." A quiet voice, eagerness dripping from its tone. "Tell me again, what happens after." An indulgent chuckle, deeper in pitch, and movement from behind the bushes and sakura tree.

"After? We can be together. For so long, we have been forced apart. But no longer. Just a bit more time, a few more tasks, and nothing, **_nothing_** , will keep us from each other. We just must be patient until that time comes, my darling." A brief, pregnant pause filled the garden as stars twinkled coldly from the sky. "Remember, they are targets, tasks, vermin for us to disperse. No more, no less." A dark giggle crept from the shadows.

"Of course, my love. I have done this for too long to think of them as anything but little pests, so caught in their own worldly problems that anything else is unimportant. And it's become so very fun to tear down their walls, expose them to what horrors lie beyond their pathetic ideas about reality. They know nothing about suffering… I like to think of our purpose as… _purely educational_." Another giggle, this time growing in volume to a sinister cackle. "And their souls are so very **_sweet_** once they've tasted pain and sorrow. It's almost ambrosial." Quick movement came from the darkness as one of the conspiring figures whipped around to look at the rising moon.

"Alas, my time is to be cut short with you, my love. I must return and fulfill one of my contracts. I'll save you a morsel of his soul, should you find yourself famished, my darling." The woman in the shadows turned on her heel, vanishing into the night with a sigh. The remaining figure looked to the moon, head falling back.

"Well, there she goes, doing your work so willingly. And I am progressing rather well, don't you think? My Lady of the Moon?" A short burst of humorless mirth, stained with sarcasm filled the night air before all was still again, the petals of the sakura falling silently, dyed crimson in the moonlight.


	4. 4

_**Warning! This chapter contains depictions of mild torture, some mind control, and frightening imagery. There is dubious consent in this chapter as well - if that is not the kind of thing you'd like to read, then please turn back now - this story will only grow darker from here. Thank you!**_

4

It was another nightmare, from which he could never awaken. Every morning, every afternoon, he desperately secluded himself, attempting to piece together the shards of his sanity and dignity as he pored over each book in the impressive castle library, taking those worth further reading to his chambers. The aides in the chamber of knowledge had sent poorly-veiled glances of concern towards his person when they thought they would not be seen. He saw the curiosity and disdain in their eyes, taking in his frantic searching of occult books and history tomes alike. He saw the worry for his health upon seeing his pallid skin and the circles under his eyes, the lost weight and how his once-princely robes hung limply from his malnourished frame.

Earlier that day, in a desperate attempt to foil his nightly visitor, he spoke with Megami Saikou, daughter of the Head of Defensive Maneuvers for the castle and surrounding lands. She was quite formidable and a personal bodyguard to he and his precious sister. He approached her about standing guard outside his chambers that night, amongst the men that had been continuously foiled. With only mild confusion, she agreed, despite the dead exhaustion in her gaze.

Now, huddled in his large bed, books on history, mythology, and the occult piled well-above his bedside, Yamada Taro waited with bated breath. The moon had long-since risen to shed light through his window. There was a slight commotion at the door, and the prince heard Megami's voice, though filled with trepidation and false energy, calling out for the identity of the approaching individual. The men made no sound, and there was a brief scuffle, the sound of leather hitting armor, indicating the girl had discreetly kicked one of the incompetent fools in an (unsuccessful) attempt to wake them.

A new voice, soft and bland, answered Megami, and Taro relaxed. It was one of the aides from around the castle. This one seemed to be a hunter, and someone had ordered her to bring Megami a drink, for purposes of alertness. Megami, after brief hesitation, took the drink, sipping it and bidding goodnight to the hunter, whose footsteps drew further and further away until silence enveloped the castle once more.

Taro exhaled in relief. Perhaps the new addition to his guard had foiled the plans of his malevolent visitor. Closing his eyes, he sank immediately into slumber. Not once did he think to confer with Megami, or even check her health. She had succumbed to a deep, empty sleep from the leaves of the sleeping tea, slumped unawares on the ground next to the other guards. No one heard the giggle beside the wall, or saw the shadow approaching the prince's room, emitting dark intent.

Yamada Taro tossed and turned, disturbing the order of his sheets as they wound around his sweat-soaked form. His undergarments twisted constrictingly across his body, chest and arms revealed in the low light, glistening with moisture. In his mind's eye, he was running, though from what, he couldn't comprehend. His only awareness was of a horrifying presence behind him, drawing closer and closer, until he woke with a start, gasping for air and drenched from his fright. Sitting upright, he looked wildly around the dark room, scanning for anyone other than himself. Seeing no one, he sighed in relief, glancing at the pile of books by his bed. The stack had been knocked down, likely from his frantic flailing, and Taro sighed. A sound drew his attention.

It was a small, dry sound, almost inconspicuous and unnoticeable with the sound of wind outside his window. Just a rubbing, like paper turning. The prince went ghostly pale, turning his head to look in the corner of his room. There, perched like she belonged there, was the demon that had visited him night after night. In her hands was the book on demons he had ordered brought from the possession of Oka Ruto, and she was shaking her head in utter amusement.

"My, my. I must say, my Prince, I was not expecting another guard to be placed so temptingly outside your room. She was just like a ribbon around a present: a minor inconvenience, but nothing I couldn't rip my way through." A girlish giggle came from her darkly painted mouth, red like blood, as a small tongue quickly swiped at her lips.

"W…what have you done to Megami?" Taro forced his voice to emerge, wincing at his weak croak. His mind flew through all the scenarios or Megami's fate at the hands of this monster. His own hands were clenched tight, so tightly that he could feel blood welling from where his fingernails had broken through the skin of his palms. She laughed again, and he hated the sound of it.

"Oh, _I_ haven't done a thing to her. If anything, I granted her the gift she's wanted for so long – an uninterrupted night of sleep. She'll wake quite refreshed in the morning, I think… you'd do well to think about your subjects next time, prince. You are not the only one in this pitiful castle that is suffering from nightmares and disturbed slumber. If you could think about the sakes of others besides yourself, perhaps you would make a better ruler." All the teasing bled out of her tone, growing sharp and cold.

"However." She rose to her feet, tossing the book contemptuously to the side, like mere trash. "It was quite rude, what you did. I don't like when plans are changed without the guest's permission, _prince_." She spat out his title like it was poison, and he felt a tightness growing in his chest. Every visit before, she had approached coyly, seductively. Now, she was stalking towards him, anger and a dangerous kind of amusement filling her voice and her every step. "Honestly, you'd think that someone had taught you the basic rules of etiquette when entertaining guests."

"No one invited you here, monster." Taro finally found his voice, spitting icy words at the demon approaching his bed. "You are not welcome. You are no more a guest than a rat inside a storage room. Whatever you are after is not yours to take. It has not been given to you, nor offered. You have no right to anything you think you do, _demon_."

A burst of feminine laughter escaped her lips, and she pressed a hand to her face as she laughed up at the moon. "Is that _really_ what you think? Come now, _boy_ , let us not mince words with one another." Her laughter cut off as quickly as it began, and her tone grew dark and dangerous. "You have begged for encounters of this kind. Of all the women fawning over you, not only have you not made any decisions to claim one, but you have openly spurned all attempts made at your favor. You have broken their hearts many times, _prince_. And you have laughed, bragging about it to your closest confidants. You cannot deny it," she cut off his protest. "I have ears and eyes everywhere, boy. If I am a monster, for giving you what you have cried out for, then what are you, to deny and take pleasure in that denial?"

Crawling onto the foot of the bed, she knelt for a minute. Motioning with one hand dismissively, the sheets tore themselves free of the bedding, crumpling in a heap on the other side of the room. Taro cried out, only to find he had no voice to call for help with. "No, little prince. You cannot cry wolf now." The woman gazed contemplatively at her fingers, and her nails grew in size and sharpness. Tracing them along the boy's face, she spoke again. "I've been slow with you, boy. Perhaps I've been too lenient. You seem to think that you are in control, and that with a few paltry books, you can just wish me away." Drawing her nails down his chest and abdomen, she severed the cloth undergarments with a mere touch.

"I think it's time you were properly introduced to me, human." Rising to her full height, she cast his garments aside as her nails retracted. With a gesture, white hands with red nails rose from the floor to bind his limbs. "I already know you. But you do not yet know me. No longer. I, sweet prince, am Aishi, the temptress of old, the giver of Sin and body of Lust. I am, what you pathetic humans call, a Succubus." She licked her lips, red eyes glinting in the low light as her clothes vanished, revealing her armor. Dark wings ripped from her back, and a long tongue flicked over sharp teeth. "I am here for the corruption of your soul, and you will deliver this to me, whether you desire it or not."

Crawling over his prone form, the demon let her body settle against his. Taro distantly processed that her armor was not cold nor sharp, but malleable, warm like a living thing wrapped around her and pulsating against him. His body was quick to react to the woman above him, acting of its own accord. The Succubus laughed, a sultry sound that promised dark things to come. Taro forced a curse through his teeth.

"Ah, ah. That's no language for a prince to have, your _highness_. Perhaps I should teach you what you should and should not say, hmmm?" Aishi's eyes glistened with cruelty and a sort of greed that could not be described. It was all at once hunger and disgust, amusement and ruthlessness. She grinned humorlessly, those sharp teeth uncomfortably close. The prince tried to squirm out of her grasp, out from under those horrifying white hands, but they held firmly to his appendages, sinking slightly into the mattress. "Oh? Trying to get away? Well, we can't have that. We're going to have fun together, you and I."

Taro screamed, a thin, high sound, as those razor-sharp teeth sank into the junction of his neck and shoulder. Aishi laughed, her mouth firmly attached to his skin, taking in the tiniest bit of rich blood before retracting. The boy beneath her was trembling like a child. _A child he is, and a child he will remain, even after entering manhood. He is weak, within. He has no heart to give, only selfish whims and self-preservation. Yes, it is good that I took this contract._

"Oh? I thought a prince could take more pain than a small scratch. But wait… there is no scratch. Perhaps your physical resistance is high enough from constant training that a bit of pain wouldn't bother you." Aishi smiled suddenly, baring those white fangs to the frightened boy. "But. We are not here to deliver physical punishment. Your punishment, sweet prince, will be locked away inside your little brain," she tapped the side of his head with a red nail. "It will be open to revisit, but you will be unable to tell anyone else. It'll be our little secret, yours and mine." Those haunting eyes gleamed with malice. "Do you understand?" Taro forced his head to nod, frantic to get her to stop whatever she intended on doing. "Ah, such a good boy!" The demon crooned, patting his head mockingly.

Just as Taro thought it could get no worse, the pain from his neck vanished. Confused, he tried to turn his head, to no success. The weight on the mattress shifted, and the Succubus Aishi walked toward the singular shaft of moonlight filtering down through the high window. Raising her arms to the sky, she spoke rapidly in an unintelligible language, as a witch's circle appeared beneath her. She looked back at the frightened prince and winked, exposing those sharp teeth again in a gross mimicry of a smile. Switching from her native tongue to one understood by all, she called upon the moon.

 _"_ _My Lady of the Moon, take witness as I sow the seeds of corruption here. Grant me the long night, to better do Your bidding. Give me the power I crave to fulfill this contract and deliver the corrupted soul of Yamada Taro to Your hands."_ Taro watched in fascinated horror as the moonlight began to darken, black and red threading together to tarnish the pure beams of light. The eerie glow crept slowly over the floorboards, and Taro forced his eyes back to Aishi. He instantly regretted looking back to the demon in her ritual. _"Fall upon this world, the Long Night! Bask in the benevolence of the Lady! Let Her bless you with Her crimson touch!"_ Aishi was laughing now, a delighted sound that ignited the vestiges of Taro's control in a wild struggle for freedom.

Between his tossing and pulling at his bonds, his gaze caught on the moon. _The moon… is red. Red as blood._ Tales from his childhood of nights when the Blood Moon rose flooded his mind. Stories of horrific beasts and the slaughter of villages in a single night, of men turning to savage monsters from the very sight of the moon. He squeezed his eyes shut, avoiding the accursed thing hanging in the sky.

The sounds of the ritual stopped, but Yamada Taro did not open his eyes. He shut them even tighter as the muscles in his arms and legs screamed in protest, the demonic hands having regained control of his body, forcing him to remain still. A weight pressed on the mattress once more, shifting as Aishi crawled up his prone body. A gentle touch on his face made him flinch ever so slightly.

"I wasn't always like this, you know?" There was an undercurrent of sorrow in her voice, so low that it was almost undetected. "Those tales your nursemaid told you of the effects of the Blood Moon, as you humans call it, are true. Did you know, princeling, that I was once a human, just as you are?" Taro cracked his eyes open to look at the temptress above him. There was a far-off, misty look in her eyes, as if she were trapped in another time and place. "Yes, I was just a human girl. I never seemed to fit into your little society. I could never feel as others did, so I learned to hide it."

Taro looked at the demon with slightly new eyes. She had been an outcast, from the sound of her story. She continued, the sultry tone of her voice leaving behind a lost echo. "My only comfort was the moon. The sun burned me each time I looked at it, so I waited for night to fall so I could comfort myself with the moon." A small smirk, devoid of emotion, disrupted the beautiful features of her face. "Things have not changed much in over 200 years, little prince. I was seen gazing at the moon and called a witch. They found others that had taken the same solace as I did and tied us to stakes, to be burned as witches and warlocks for no reasoning whatsoever. That night, as they lit the pyres and my legs were burning, I saw my first Blood Moon." Aishi rubbed at her skin unconsciously, caught in a memory.

The Succubus looked at the black-haired boy, but her gaze seemed to pierce right through him. "I looked up at the moon that had been my only companion for so long, and the Lady offered me a choice: either I could remain a pitiful human and die at the stake, or I could give myself to Her and live on a higher plane, as one of Her disciples. Naturally," she smiled patronizingly, "you can see what my choice was." Taro felt his heart constrict ever-so-slightly. "All the men and women I corrupt, all the souls I take, are at the bidding of my Lady." The prince's resistance crumbled at her words. Despite being a demon, it was her only choice. Anyone would pick life over death. As for her current duty, she had no choice in that matter, either. She was no better than the slaves held by some of the farming and mining villages. His heart softened, and he looked at her one more time. It was his undoing.

Through her ritual, Aishi thought smugly, she had been granted a boon from her Lady. The Lady sent the Long Night, and the Lady also wove Her own power through the Succubus. Relishing the power, she stretched her wings and looked down at the young man convulsing in madness. He was struggling again, but not to get away. No, Yamada Taro was trying desperately to get as close to her as possible. She grinned, predatory, with her prey completely at her mercy.

Leaning close to the senseless boy, she whispered in his ear. "The Lady did more than turn me and the other innocents to Her side. Her anger turned the men to mere beasts of insatiable hunger. Though we, in training for our services, began to strike that village, the human men foolish enough to spurn Her and look at Her Light, undeserving of it, became as you are now." The succubus placed a hand gently on his cheek, and Taro stilled briefly before struggling with renewed vigor. "Mindless beasts controlled by Lust and Sin."

Triumph glinted in her eyes as she snapped her fingers, the versatile armor on her body melting away into black smoke, hanging around the bed. Taro, reduced to primal bestial urges, recognized the scene before him, his excitement palpable and rising stiff into the air. Still he strained against his bindings, and the talons adjusted slightly to avoid nicking his flesh. Aishi flipped her tails of black hair over a shoulder, avarice shining in her eyes as she studied Yamada Taro, prone and supplicant before her, entirely at her mercy, and no one else's. "Well, my Prince, shall we begin? I have so much to teach you…" The demon shifted, purposefully brushing against the boy's shaft.

In a surprising burst of strength, the fallen prince threw off the hands binding him and grasped Aishi by the waist, pushing her forcefully to the bed. "Ah? I wondered how long you would remain helpless, little prince." She smirked, red eyes sparkling with cruel amusement as the mindless boy rutted against her hip. "I can't have you thinking you're in control again, now, can I? Yamada Taro."

At the sound of his name, Taro stopped his frantic movements, his head cocked in confusion. Aishi smiled. "Yamada Taro, who am I?" The boy's mouth opened, no sound escaping. "Speak, filth!" Anger bled into the Succubus's tone, and the fallen prince yelped.

"You… you are Mistress." His voice was rough from his continued struggles, and he whimpered as his neglected flesh twitched impatiently. The Succubus motioned for him to continue, sitting upright, and the fallen prince looked down nervously. "I… I serve Mistress. Mistress Aishi teaches me, and then I go with Mistress to her Lady."

Sharp teeth glinted against the inky smoke. "Good boy, Taro. That's right, except for two things. First of all, _you_ will not be seeing my Lady, but your _soul_ will be. Is that understood?" There was a meek nod from the boy under her thrall. Aishi briefly caressed his face. "The last thing is the issue of your willingness to participate, to enable you to meet my Lady." The once-proud boy whined under her glare. "Tell me, Taro. Do you wish for me to please you?"

This time, his nod was not meek at all, but eager beyond all reasoning. "Do you wish for me to take you to see the Lady, as undesirable and unskilled as you are now? She would be disgusted with you, were She to see you as you are. I must educate you through your own ignorance, until you are pleasing enough to be shown before Her. Will you grant me that, Taro?" He nods again, lust warring with adoration in his black eyes. "Speak it, Taro. Tell me I may take you, all of you, and give you knowledge."

The boy took a single breath. "Yes, please, Mistress. Teach me and tame me and break me, so I may please Mistress's Lady! I want it, please, Mistress, please. I want to please Mistress and her Lady." There were tears welling in his eyes, and Aishi shook her head in disgust. Taro knelt before her and begged for relief as tears ran down his cheeks. _If only your beloved people could see the state you're in now. Their next king, reduced to a whining, gutless pile of trash, eager for the being who corrupted him this far to finish her work and steal away his soul. How… educational, indeed._ Aishi giggled, the sound growing in volume until Taro looked up timidly.

"Come, Taro. Lie back." Eager joy overtook his body, and he sprang up to do as his 'Mistress' asked of him. "It's interesting," she murmured, moving a hand down the planes of his chest as he shuddered and quaked from the attention, "how just a bit of your blood enables this level of control over your mind. I could do this," Aishi dug her talons into the fallen prince's abdomen, drawing blood to pool, "and you will feel only pleasure." At her words, Taro cried out, his cock twitching even as the crimson fluid raced down his body to the organ.

"I have control over your every move, little prince. I think it's time to wake up now – you have given permission to me over your body, your mind, your very soul. Wake up, Taro Yamada. Wake up and learn the lessons you have begged me for." Malice swam through her words like fish through a stream, and her smile grew colder as the awareness returned to Yamada Taro's eyes. He gasped, breaking out in a sweat, and Aishi withdrew her nails from his flesh. Her hand was slippery with blood, and she trailed her fingers down his body.

"Ah, he awakens. Nice of you to join us again, _Taro_." His name is spoken with great sarcasm and derision, but from her lips, the fallen prince feels as though a cord has been snapped tight within his mind. "I think there's something your paltry books failed to mention, by the way." The succubus speaks conversationally, even as her bloodied fingers grip his cock. The sensation is almost enough to make him groan. Aishi continues loftily, as if she isn't doing sinfully delicious things to his body. "We succubi are dangerous creatures, you know. We are strong and unpredictable, capable of bringing even the strongest men to their knees. But there is more to us than that." Twisting her fingers around his hard flesh, her eyes glint in satisfaction as a strangled moan tears free of his throat.

Lifting her bloodied hand free to her face, that long tongue extends, lapping at the blood almost greedily. Finished, she closes her eyes in delight, head falling back erotically. When her eyes open again, they are almost feral. "With just a single drop of blood, you fall entirely under our spell. From that small sip you provided me with earlier, Yamada Taro, you succumbed and feel fully under my control." There was a tightness in his throat as panic welled in his chest, though he could not move.

"For instance…" The succubus leaned down, her mouth nearly touching his pectorals, her breath misting against his skin as her eyes held his attention, like a bird drawn to the gaze of a snake. With no warning, her teeth sank into his skin and pulled, ripping open his flesh and swallowing the crimson fluid that gushed free. The boy threw his head back and shouted, pain like he had never experienced washing over him. The demon clicked her fingers even as her left hand trailed up his waist, and the pain vanished, as if it had never been there. "…with just a flick of my wrist, a word such as, oh, let's see… _Taro_ ," she grinned savagely as a sound of pleasure forced its way out of his mouth, "you will feel exactly as I wish you to. Isn't it amazing, how your delicious blood gives me dominion over you?"

Taro's head sagged, his eyes filling with tears. "What do you want from me? And why are you doing this?" He hated the way his voice emerged, broken and hoarse. A whisper inside the depths of his mind spoke of his devotion to the Mistress, confusing him further.

Gently, the hand that had paused on his waist cupped his cheek, turning his head to face hers. Deep red eyes held black, and she replied simply, "Because you asked this of me." There was a flash of pity in her irises before it disappeared. Moving back down his body, she smirked down at him. "Now, little prince, shall we continue where we left off? I still have much to teach you." Taro closed his eyes as despair took root in his heart.

 ** _A/N - I didn't want to end this chapter here. However, it was over 6 pages of horror, so I felt it was prudent to cut it short and split it into parts. Next chapter, we may finally see what is haunting the girls of the castle and so drastically affecting their demeanors. Please note - I do not encourage dubious consent or non-_** ** _consensual interactions. As this is fanfiction, and fanfiction about Yandere Simulator, no less, I am bending my fanfiction to resemble that universe and the tone of the overall game. This is not meant to be a happy story where Senpai gets everything he wishes for. This is a dark and rather twisted story - with a yandere, would you really expect any less?_**

 ** _I apologize if this offended anyone - it was not my intention. However, if those people who were offended have decided to leave this story alone, that is a good decision for them; it will only get darker from here._**

 ** _Thank you for following the development of "Goodnight, Sweet Prince", and I look forward to seeing you next time! - AT_**


	5. 5

5

When she woke up, it was dark. It was so dark, in fact, that Hanako had to look around a few times before she could even tell where she was. The familiar walls of her room greeted her, and she sighed, relaxing back into her plush mattress. Almost as quickly as she sank into the bedding, she shot upright. Images from before her fainting spell washed over her, along with utter humiliation.

"I've ruined it, haven't I?" The princess murmured to herself, even as she tried to rub the tears away from her eyes. "There's no chance a Suitor like that would wish for a wife who couldn't even stand in his presence." A small, snide voice in her mind pushed all thoughts out of the way. _Perhaps they were all right about her… perhaps she really was good for nothing._

"Oh, no, Princess. It's far from ruined." A smooth, cultured voice filled her chambers, and Hanako's eyes flew open, desperately pulling the blankets up to cover as much as she could of herself. Despite being fully covered by her nightly robes, it was one of the shallow comforts she had not yet outgrown from childhood. Peeking out from her flimsy barrier, Hanako felt all the breath leave her body.

Leaning easily on the wall next to her window was a man, tall and strong. The darkness hid most of his features, but a single beam of light illuminated his face. Hanako gasped. He was beautiful to her eyes. His skin was porcelain, smooth and unmarked by the sun's harsh rays. The bones of his face were chiseled and somehow both strong and delicate, with an aristocratic set to his nose and full lips. His eyes, however, were what completely enraptured her. They were a deep amethyst, full of mystery and shifting colors subtly. His handsome face was framed by wild black hair, untamed, but not messy, nor willfully ignored. If nothing else, it gave him a slightly dangerous appearance, like the warriors under Osoro, hard and sharp, weapons waiting to be used.

His eyes captured hers again, and he smiled faintly, uncrossing his arms and pushing off of the wall. "Indeed, Princess Hanako, I'd say your situation is budding, ready to bloom at the slightest provocation." The purr in his deep voice sent pleasant shivers down Hanako's spine, and she shuddered, closing her eyes for a brief moment. When she opened them again, the princess almost jumped out of her bed.

He was right there, in front of her. One hand braced steadily on the mattress, the other hovered close to her face, poised to lift her chin. His eyes drew her gaze once more, like magnets with iron sand. He seemed to draw closer, and she opened her mouth, words falling out before she could stop to think. "Are… are you my guardian spirit?"

The otherworldly man before her paused, a brief glint of unidentifiable emotion passing through his pupils before a soft smile transformed his face into a benevolent expression. "Yes, Hanako. I am the spirit your mother assigned to watch over you." Her eyes stung briefly with tears at the mention of her mother, who had died years ago from a sudden sickness that spread rampant through the castle. It was then that their father, the King, had fallen under the illusion of the power of Oka Ruto.

"How is my mother? Is she… happy?" She hesitated. "She's not in pain anymore, right?" The dark-haired princess bit her lip, feeling foolish. Her mother was dead, her spirit with the goddess of the sun, Amaterasu. There was no way she would be in pain now. But somehow, faced with a spirit specifically sent by her mother, she felt the need to be reassured, to be told that all was well.

A light touch on her hair woke Hanko from her conflicted thoughts. "Your mother is at peace with the Lady, Hanako-chan." That smooth, soft voice spoke lowly in her ear, even as his hands moved gently over her hair. "She is so very proud of you, and wishes me to tell you how beautiful you have become in her absence. Your Mother told me that you were almost ready." She opened her mouth, eyes full of questions, but the man at her bedside cut her off quietly. "Do not ask for what, yet. She spoke that you would know when it was time."

Yamada Hanako sighed, but closed her eyes and nodded obediently, leaning into the touch of the inhuman visitor by her bed. Unseen, he grinned, a feral gleam in his eyes. _She is so very foolish, and so trusting… it is indeed good that she is so unlike her brother, else my duty would be much more difficult._ The girl spoke, a sleepy murmur, and the dark spirit focused. "Will you come back tomorrow, and tell me more about how mother is doing?"

That sharp, deadly smile returned, filled with black promises. "Of course, little princess. I shall always return."

 ** _A/N - Well, well, well. Look what we have here! Another chapter today. Since yesterday's chapter was so long and dark, I thought I'd balance it out with a shorter chapter, from Hanako and her "guardian spirit". My judgement of Hanako's character has always been of her as a naive, younger version of Taro, much less cynical and more trusting than he is, with some insecurities that have been ironed into her from a younger age. That's why she's so fearful of being alone and forgotten by her brother - she doesn't want to lose the only person she can consistently rely on to love her and assure her that she's good for something. It's also one of her biggest weaknesses: she desperately wants someone to want her as well, and to be good for something, anything. It will be her downfall, to have trusted her visitor so quickly. Regardless, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and please, PLEASE drop a review to let me know how I did, and if you liked or disliked anything. I cannot stress how much the reviews help, and how happy they make me to continue writing. Thank you all again! - AT_**


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